The Newest Marauder
by elvendork-luvs-ginny
Summary: Grieving isn't only for those who survive. Fred Weasley finds comfort in three of his childhood idols: Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs.


_**First line is from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, so that's Jo's work; not mine. I hope you enjoy!**_

"You actually are joking Perce…. I don't think I've heard you joke since you were-"Then everything was black.

Before long, everything began to clear up for Fred Weasley. There was a light growing in his eyes, and he looked up bewildered. Something wasn't right. He was lying on what appeared to be a marble floor. Quickly, he got up and surveyed his surroundings. Everything looked to be white. White floor, white ceiling, white pillars. He turned completely around to see six men standing before him.

Fred's gaze was immediately focused on two of the men standing on the left side of the group. Something in the deep recesses of his mind, from his youth, told Fred that these were his uncles, Fabian and Gideon. They looked very similar to Fred and his own brother George.

_George. Where was George?_

Next to Fabian and Gideon was Fred's other uncle, Bilius. He wore a huge smile on his face, just as Fred remembered. To his surprise, the right side of the group was composed of Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and a man who had a striking resemblance to Harry Potter. He assumed this to be Harry's father, James.

It then dawned on Fred what had happened. "I can't be…" He was unable to form the last word.

"Where's George?" he asked desperately. "Where's my brother?"

"Fred," Remus began, but Fred was quick to cut him off.

"No! I can't be dead. Not without George!" He wanted to cry, but he was, somehow, unable to. Remus wrapped a reassuring arm around him.

"We're here to help you, see; James, Remus, and I," Sirius said.

"We have a proposition for you," James added. Remus gave Fred's relative a nod as he led Fred away. This place seemed to go on and on, and Fred began to wonder if it kept going forever. They finally reached a table to their right. It, like everything else, was pure white; perfect for four people to sit at.

After situating themselves around the table, James reached inside his pocket and pulled out a large piece of paper and laid it on the table.

"What's this rubbish?" Fred asked.

"'What's this rubbish' he says." Fred gave a slight smirk before James continued. "I think you know what this is. Messrs. Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present, to you, the Marauder's Map. Just had to make some adjustments to it, seeing how Moony has just joined us."

Understanding James's meaning, Fred looked up and gave Remus a sad look. He was not the only casualty in the war against Voldemort. Who else would join them? Who else was already here? As much as he missed his family, Fred hoped he wouldn't be seeing any of them soon. One thing was finally clear to Fred. For years he had wondered who Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs were, and now he knew. Never once would he have suspected his former professor, a man who had spent over a decade in Azkaban, and a man who died directly fighting against Voldemort to be the three he had looked up to so much.

Sirius pressed his wand against the paper saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Well, we're not exactly 'up to no good' but that was the best we could come up with,"

"It's not quite like the Marauder's Map you're used to, or so Prongs says. Though I can say I'm happy to finally understand where Harry procured the original from. I should have guessed it would be you," Remus said with a gentle smile.

Fred began to wonder what this new Marauder's Map was. He knew that he was no longer at Hogwarts. He also wanted to know what these three men wanted with him. Sirius and Remus were in the Order of the Phoenix with him, and Remus had taught him Defense Against the Dark Arts, but they were never that close.

"What is it exactly you want from me?"

"You see, Fred, we've always had four in our group, and we're not really ones to break tradition," James said.

"We want you to be the fourth Marauder," Sirius finished.

Fred thought for a second, and then said, "Well, I do owe you three a ton. So I don't see why I couldn't join." For the first time, a real smile appeared on his face. James leaned over the piece of paper with his wand, saying an incantation. Soon the words on the map were clear:

**Messrs. Moony, Weasley, Padfoot, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present the Marauder's Map**

"We'll think up a nickname for you in due time," Sirius said.

"Yeah, you don't simply get these things. You've got to earn it," added James with a sly smile. Maybe things weren't going to be so terrible for Fred.

"Padfoot, why don't you show Fred what the map does, exactly? I'm curious to see it myself," Remus said.

"It's quite simple, really. You just tap it with your wand and say the name of a person on Earth to see what they're doing."

"Anyone?" Fred asked.

"Anyone."

"Anywhere?"

"Anywhere. Let's try it out. Shall we?" He pointed his wand at the map and said, "Harry Potter". The map opened up like a portal. At first it was hazy, but soon cleared up. They were staring down into Hogwarts. Harry was standing, looking victorious. They could see the body of Lord Voldemort sprawled on the ground. Each of the four Marauders wore a smile on his face, but none was bigger than the one worn by James. Their sacrifices weren't for naught.

Remus beamed and clasped his hand on James's shoulder. "Congratulations mate. He did it."

"Thank you. To all three of you. He wouldn't have made it without you," James replied.

"Even me?" Fred asked.

James laughed and replied, "Yes. You were one of Harry's closest friends and were always there for him. I am very grateful. Don't think I didn't see all that you did for him."

Fred's face lit up even more, and as he looked in the frame, in came Hermione, Ron, Ginny, George, and his parents. They engulfed Harry as more and more people entered the frame. The War was over. Somehow, Fred found himself to be happy. When he had first arrived in this place, he didn't think he would ever be happy. But he now knew that his friends and family would eventually join him, at their own pace. Until then he would enjoy being in the group he had idolized and occasionally, he would look down on his loved ones.

He pulled out his wand, tapped the piece of paper, and said "Mischief managed."


End file.
